G f rooke



Sept. 12, 1933. G F, RQOKE 1,926,062

TICKET SELECTOR Filed OOZ. 25, 1930 Patented Seph l2, 1933 rara 11 Claims.

The object oi the present invention is to fur,- nish a means by which certain tickets or other articles out of a variety oi such articles having respectively diiierent dimensions, may be selectively admitted to a depository, and diierent ones of such series thus selectively admitted at different times. One specinc use of the invention is in connection with places oi entertainment, such as moving picture houses, where the program is repeated one or more times in the course of a continuous performance. In those places which are open for business from early in the day until late in the evening, lower prices are charged for admission in the hours when attendance is light, and higher prices the hours when more people are free to attend, ior instance, a low price may be charged in the forenoon, an intermediate price in the afternoon, and the highest price in the evening. My invention is designed to suit these conditions in cooperation with tickets of different dimensions or forms which are sold at these different prices. One embodiment or" the invention consists in a shield adapted to he placed in different positions with respect to the entrance to a ticket depository, and having diierent slots or openings adapted to ce placed independently in register with such entrance, which slots severally correspond with the tickets of diiierent values in a manner to exclude all tickets or lower value when a slot appropriated to a ticket of higher value is thus registered with the entrance.

This reference to tickets for moving picture theatres is only illustrative however, not limiting of the purpose and scope of the invention; and it is to be understood that the term ticket as used in this speciiication and in the title is generic or typical or" all classes of artitcles, the individuals in which may diiier from one another in one or more characteristic dimensions or shapes.

The embodiment of the invention chosen for description and illustration herein comprises a shield with slots of different widths cooperating with the entrance slot of a bok in which tickets are received, and means for adjusting such shield so the diiierent ones of itsslots will register with the entrance slot of the box.

Fig. l oi the drawing shows a plan view of the shield and its supporting frame and actuating mechanism separated from the ticket loox, a part of its frame being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. Il is a section similar to Fig. 3 but showing the shield and its actuating cam and ratchet in a different position;

CII

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2 showing a detail of actuating mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a diagram shot ing the principles of a time controlled electric circuit for automatically causing adjustment of such shield.

Like reference characters designate the same parts wherevr they occur in all the figures.

In the present illustration the character 10 represents a shield having slots 11, l2 and 13 oi dif- 65 ferent widths, adapted to be placed in a ticket box under and close to the top wall 53 of such box so that any one oi its slots may be registered with the entrance slot 1li in the wall. The shield is supported by two arms 15 connected by 70 pivots 16 to brackets or lugs 1*? forming part of a frame 18. The shield is made as a segment of a cylinder coaxial with the pivots 16 so that in each of its positions the relation of the slot then registering with the entrance slot of the casing will be the same.

One or" the arms 15 is provided with a branch or extension 19 carrying a pin 20 which bears on the volute peripheral surface of a cam 21. A spring 22 connected to the arm l5 and to an an- 80 chor pin 23 on the frame structure holds pin 20 against lthe cam. Such cain is made with two equal and symmetrically arranged lobes. It is rigidly connected with a six toothed ratchet 24 and is loosely mounted on a shaft 25 which turns 85 in bearings 26 and 27 mounted in alineinent with one another on the side members of the frame 18.

A disk 28 surrounds shaft 25 and is keyed thereto by a pin 29, and carries a pawl 30 cooperating with the ratchet 24 inthe usual way, under the iniuence of a spring 31 (Fig. 2). A spring 33 connected to a pin 34 on disk 28, and to an anchor pin 35 on the frame, returns the disk to previous position after it has been oscillated to advance the ratchet through the angle of one tooth.- A holding pawl 35 is mounted on a stationary pivot 37 on the frame and is iniiuenced by the spring 38 surrounding its pivot stud, to hold the ratchet after each step.

Teeth 39 forming a gear pinion are cut on an enlarged portion of shaft 25, and these teeth mesh with complemental rack teeth 40 cut in the side oi a bar 41 which is the core oi a solenoid l2. In this instance the solenoid is secured in the frame with its axis upright and the toothed end of its core il protruding from the lower end or" the solenoid, whereby gravity acts in conjunction with spring 33 to project the core below the position it assumes when the solenoid is energized. Hence when an electric current impulse is passed through the windings of the solenoid the core is raised and shaft 25 is turned. It will be understood of course that the dimensions and relations of the several parts described are appropriately made of such values that the rise of the core bar 41 causes the ratchet 24 to be turnedV through an angle enough wider than the spacing between two teeth to insure engagement and retention of the next following tooth by the holding paWl 36.

Each lobe of the cam subtends approximately 180, and its volute surface is formed to give three positions to the shield, the intermediate position being shown in Fig. 3 and the third position in Fig. 4. In the latter position thpin 20 is on the high part of the cam and so near the end of that part that the next step of rotation allows it to drop to the low point 21a, returning the shield to iirst position. Each rotation of the ratchet, accomplished in six steps, thus places the shield in each of its three positions twice in rotation.

In this illustration the apparatus is designed to receive three thin tickets of respectively different widths, of which the lowest priced is the widest and the highest priced the narrowest. The position referred to herein as the rst position places the widest slot 411 in register with the entrance slot 14, which permits insertion of any of the tickets and leaves it to the patron to take care not to insert a narrower, higher priced ticket. In the second position the middle slot 12 of intermediate width registers with the entrance and excludes the lowest priced, widest, ticket, while admitting either the medium priced or highest priced tickets. In the third position the narrowest slot 13 registers with the entrance and-admits only the highest priced ticket, excluding the two of lower prices.

The solenoid 14 may be connected with a source of current and with a time switch as indicated by the diagram in Fig. 6. Here 43 designates a clock having an arm mounted to rotate in unison with the hour hand, in electric connection with one of the sides of an electric power circuit and adapted to make contact successively with electric contacts 44, 45 and 46 at the hours of 9, 12 and 6, respectively. These' contacts are all connected in parallel with one terminal of the solenoid winding, the other terminal of which is conf nected with the other side of the power line. Thus when the circuit is closed at either of these contacts, the solenoid'is energized and caused to move the shield through one of its steps, as described. A manual switch 47 is interposed in the circuit for shifting the shield into any other position at any time, or for bringing the shield to its rst position at the starting point of thetime cycle. l l

It will be understood that the closing points of the solenoid circuit may be set at any other desired time points than those indicated; and that the cam, ratchet, etc. may be designed in accordance with these principles to set the shield successively in a greater or less number of positions so as to accommodate a wider or narrower range of tickets and price values. It vwill also be apparent to the skilled mechanic that the principles herein disclosed of means for admitting and excluding various objects may be modified widely as to shape and position and embodied otherwise than as straight slots in a shield plate. Also that the shield or its equivalent may be located adjacent to any other entrance to a depository,

whether above or below the shield, or the like, or arranged for lateral, as distinguished from vertical, entrance or" the object. Indeed the drawing shows as well a chute 48 located below the shield which is alined with the external slot 14 and with the various slots of the shield in the different positions of the latter. It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that other mechanical movements than the specic pawl and rachet mechanism and rack and pinion gearing may be applied within the principles of the invention to shift the shield.

Therefore, without having attempted to show and describe all possible embodiments of the invention, and without limiting my protection to the illustrative embodiment here shown, I declare that what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination with a depository for objects difiering from one another in a character- 95 istic dimension, of means for obstructing the entrance to said depository placeable in different positions and. having provisions for admitting one of such objects to the depository when in one of its positions, and provisions for admitting another of the objects to the depository and excluding the iirst mentioned object when in another of its positions.

2. The combination with a depository for objects differing from one another in a characteristic dimension, of means for obstructing the entrance to said depository placeable in different positions and having provisions for admitting one of such objects to the depository when in one of its positions, and provisions for admitting another of the objects to the depository and excluding the rst mentioned object when in another or" its positions, and motive mechanism for shifting said obstructing means from one to another of said positions.

3. The combination with a depository for objects diiering from one another in a characteristic dimension, of means for obstructing the entrance to said depository placeable in different positions and having provisions for admitting one of such objects to the depository when in one of its positions, and provisions for admitting another of the objects to the depository and eX- cluding the rst mentioned object when in another of its positions, and motive mechanism for shifting said obstructing means into its several positions in rotation.

4. The combination with a depository for objects diiering from one another in a characteristic dimension, of means for obstructing the 160 entrance to said depository placeable in different positions and having provisions for admitting one of such objects to the depository when in one of its positions, and provisions for admitting another of the objects to the depository and excluding the rst mentioned object when in another of its positions, and automatic time controlled means for shifting said obstructing means from one to another of its positions.

5. The combination with a depository having v an entrance opening adapted to receive objects of different form characteristics, and an obstructor placeable in different positions across said opening having in itself openings of diferent characteristics corresponding to those of different ones of said objects so located in the'obstructor that different ones of such openings are exclusively in register with said entrance opening when the obstructor is in its respective positions.

6. A ticket selector and means for moving said selector from one position to another, combined With a structure formed with a passageway for tickets, said selector being located adjacent to an orifice of said passageway and provided with obstructing means and openings corresponding respectively to characteristics of different tickets, different ones of said openings being placed exclusively in operative register with such orice in the several positions of the selector.

'7. A combination With a selector as set forth in claim 6, of timing means in controlling cooperation With the selector shifting mechanism to cause shift of the selector from one position to another at given points of time.

8. The combination with a depository having a restricted entrance, of a selective obstructor for said entrance adapted to be placed in diierent positions and having openings complemental respectively to articles of different characteristics arranged to register singly with said entrance When the obstructor is in its different positions, an electromagnetic motive element, mechanism driven by said element operative to shift the selector into its several positions successively, and an electric time switch in circuit with the electromagnetic element to convey electric impulses to said element at predetermined times.

9. A ticket depository, means for varying the effective size of the entrance through which tickets are passed into the depository, and time controlled electrical means for operating said entrance changing means at given times in the course of the day.

10. A ticket depository having an entrance for the tickets to be deposited, means operative in conjunction with said entrance for so changing the elTective passage thereof as to exclude tickets which, before such change, Were admissible, while admitting diierent tickets, and automatic means for actuating said passagechanging means at a predetermined time.

11. A ticket depository having an entrance for tickets, means for so altering said entrance as to exclude certain tickets While admitting others, and automatic means for operating said entrance altering means at a predetermined time.

GEORGE F. ROOKE. 

